This article includes failed For “Castlevania: Nocturne” Season 2.
If you count both shows as one, Netflix’s “Castlevania” franchise has been running for six seasons and eight years, with “Castlevania: Nocturne” Season 2 marking the latest entry in the powerhouse animation’s stylish video game adaptation . And yet, in all that time, the show has left one of the most beloved and critically acclaimed “Castlevania” games untouched. “Castlevania: Symphony of the Night” completely redesigned its property after arriving on the original PlayStation and Sega Saturn in 1997. Now, with the way things are ending at the end of “Nocturne” season 2, fans may finally be getting one. A proper adaptation of that famous game… assuming the show gets renewed by Netflix.
Write on x In October 2024, series director Samuel Deets confirmed that the show was “going on hiatus until the release and we find out if we’re getting renewed,” adding, “If you want to see more shows of ‘Castlevania’ quality If you want, please support S2 when it’s released!” Renewal is always a tough proposition in the modern streaming age, especially on Netflix. That said, “Castlevania” has been more successful than most at threading the needle. Its longevity is a real anomaly these days, and if Netflix sees fit to continue the story, “Nocturne” season 3 could be a new highpoint.
The end of “Castlevania: Nocturne” season 2 wraps up several major storylines that began in season 1, including the terrifying reign of Erzsébet Bathory (Franca Potente), the Sekhmet saga and the will-they-won’t-they dynamic. Between Richter Belmont (Edward Blumel) and Annette (Thuso Mbedu). At the same time, some threads are deliberately left hanging, and they all point to “Symphony of the Night”.
What happens in Castlevania: Symphony of the Night?
The first “Castlevania” show is an adaptation of the original Nintendo Entertainment System’s “Castlevania 3”, with some additional plot elements borrowed from the PlayStation 2 game “Curse of Darkness”. Both games are prequels to the first two games in the franchise. On the other hand, “Nocturne” is a little more loose when it comes to its source material. Richter Belmont first entered the games in 1993’s “Castlevania: Rondo of Blood”, in which he fights the resurrected Dracula to save his love Annette. However, bringing villains to life again and again is a more difficult proposition on TV than in video games, so “Nocturne” wisely decided to create a new villain for Richter to face on the show.
“Symphony of the Night” takes place five years after “Rondo”. In that game, Richter disappears, and Dracula’s castle returns, prompting Alucard (James Callis in the Netflix series) to enter it and investigate. He faces off against a mind-controlled Richter before once again battling his father Dracula. Maria Renard (Pixie Davis on the Netflix show) also features prominently.
The biggest hurdle for “Nocturne” in building on the “Symphony of the Night” story in Season 3 will be bringing back Dracula, partly because his Netflix voice actor, Graham McTavish, is quite busy these days. Richter has a different villain to overcome in the first two seasons of “Nocturne,” but his character is still back to the same basic place where we find him at the beginning of “Symphony of the Night.”
Castlevania: Nocturne Season 3 is ready for Symphony of the Night
Ultimately, “Symphony of the Night” is tackled with some significant pieces in “Castlevania: Nocturne.” At the end of Season 2, Richter and Annette get together, as they do in the games, and Richter moves to another part of the world, which may be the main content of his disappearance in the games. Meanwhile, Alucard decides to stay in Paris with Maria and Juste Belmont (Iain Glen), at least for the time being. This puts him close to the action, as he is the main character of “Symphony”.
The biggest unresolved thread in Season 2 is the mysterious ghost looming in the background – a figure whom Allrox (Xan McClarnon) refers to as both “Old Man Coyote” and “Mephistopheles.” Although not yet confirmed, it is possible that this character is Death (Malcolm McDowell) from “Castlevania” season 4, an ancient being whose physical form has been destroyed by Trevor Belmont (Richard Armitage). Death plays an important role in “Symphony of the Night” and his potential appearance in “Nocturne” season 2 could show us how the show could bring back some of those stories.
Obviously, a lot of the “Symphony” storyline will need to be changed for the animated series. For one, the actual action of a “Castlevania” game isn’t enough to fill a season, because it’s mostly action. Richter’s love for Annette may become the thing that pushes him to a vulnerable place, or Maria may get in over her head back in France, triggering a desperate game.
Will Dracula return in Castlevania: Nocturne?
It’s hard to imagine “Castlevania: Symphony of the Night” without Dracula. This is the biggest gap that “Nocturne” needs to fill to bring the game to life. But bringing him back at the beginning of “Nocturne” might have been too much, but now enough time has passed to work on the story. Dracula has not been a primary character in the franchise for the past four seasons, and it has been hundreds of years in-universe since he was last thought to be alive.
The big question is how can the show make him a villain again If He had to return. While the Dracula movies usually make him the big bad, by the time he dies in “Castlevania,” he becomes a truly tragic figure. The final scene of the original “Castlevania” series reveals that Death’s attempt to bring Dracula and his wife Lisa (Emily Swallow) back from the dead is successful, but not quite in the way he planned. The two return to Earth in their normal bodies and decide to live quiet lives together, leading Alucard to believe that they are actually dead so he can move on. It is unclear whether the resurrected Lisa still has mortal life, but Dracula will presumably still be alive during the events of “Nocturne”. However, it is hard to imagine that he would enjoy wreaking havoc on Earth again after reuniting with his wife.
Regardless, it feels like we’re on the brink. If its predecessor is any indication, “Nocturne” won’t last more than four seasons. If you don’t choose Richter Belmont as your new hero and don’t plan on adopting “Symphony of the Night”, now is the time.
The first two seasons of “Castlevania: Nocturne” are now streaming on Netflix.
